Plastic waste startups.

Plastic pollution is a multifaceted subject, to avoid confusion this post focus on one question:

What startups are making with plastic waste?

3D printer filament

PRINTERIOR

On the 1. Oct. 2021 Arch Grants published a press release announcing PRINTERIOR as one of the winner of 2021 Global Startup Competition with a 50,000 USD grant. PRINTERIOR is a circular additive manufacturing company that collect waste plastic and recycle it to produces:

- 3D printer filament,

- Small-scale 3D printed objects,

- Large-format 3D prints.

XENOIL

On the 15 May 2021, Delaware valley university published an article announcing the winner of 2021 spark bowl competition, it's Xenoil LLC, a U.S. based company that reduces plastic waste by creating products with recycled plastics. This is the simple basic solution, first, we should recycle the existing plastic waste instead of producing more.

Xenoil offers two products category:

1- xenowax : a machinable wax,

2- xenofiber: 3d printing filament.

Xenoil won 12,000 USD

Racks

On the 4.May.2021 Arizona state university published an article announcing STRAX GEAR as the winner of the retail devils funding track demo day pitch competition with 10,000 USD investment prize. STRAX GEAR makes gear-storage racks out of recycled plastic, according to their website, every rack is equivalent to over 200 water bottles destined for landfills.

Surfboards

On the 19. May. 2021 BASF forward am published a video on YouTube announcing WYVE as an innovation award finalist, WYVE won the Deloitte sustainability award with 10,000 EUR cash prize, they produce 3D printed surfboards from recycled plastics.

Handcrafts

On the 29. April. 2021 nav.com published an article announcing UPCYCLE HAWAII LLC as the winner of 10,000 USD small business grant. The list of products that UPCYCLE HAWAII LLC make with plastic waste is long:

- totes,

- ornaments,

- earrings,

- gift cards,

- key-chains,

- nightlights,

- pouches,

- stickers,

- wallets, .....

Aggregate concrete blocks

On the 19. Mar. 2021, the Singapore management university institute of innovation and entrepreneurship organized the Lee kuan global business plan competition, SPHERA Ltd won the  Kajima smart construction deployment 30,000 SGD prize.

Sphera is serving a sector where progress could be made in carbon emissions reduction, the building and construction sector. they transform plastic waste into aggregate concrete blocks that have low thermal conductivity, this mean that buildings will consume less energy in heating and cooling.

Interlocking building system

On the 27. May. 2021 Scottish edge published an article announcing QUICK BLOCK as the winner of round 17 circular economy Scottish EDGE award with £80,000 prize. QUICK BLOCK produces flat-packed interlocking building systems from 100% recycled plastic, the blocks are used in rapid assembly modular building system.

Modular building blocks

On the 12. Jun. 2021 volta published an article voltaefffect.com announcing PLAEX BUILDING SYSTEMS inc as one of five Atlantic Canadian early stage startups receiving 25,000 CAD investment. Plaex is recycling waste plastics into modular building blocks.